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One of the first conference calls of many to take place between the new Māori Party leadership was interrupted with a marketing suggestion by a future voter.
“We need Māori Party basketballs” was the recommendation from 10-year-old Te Kanawa, younger son of freshly elected President Che Wilson.
You get a sense pretty quickly that the new leadership is about to bring new energy to the political landscape. In February at Rotorua, 41-year-old Che Wilson and 35-year-old Kaapua Smith were elected with great enthusiasm by a capacity crowd who had been attracted to the ‘new beginning’ that the Māori Party 2018 Hui-a-Tau was promoted as.
Over a decade ago, the founding President of the Māori Party, Whatarangi Winiata, told the Māori Party AGM at Omahu Marae in Hastings that in the 1960s when he had visited Chicago Museum there was an exhibit of a perfect human specimen – the New Zealand Māori. It is tempting to speculate that these two young leaders represent that ideal in the staggering list of accomplishments they have already achieved.
After acquiring a Bachelor of Arts – Honours – in international relations, politics and Māori, Che has shown a particular flair in the areas of environmental management and tribal leadership. He has been a member of the Tongariro-Taupō Conservancy Board; the National Māori Advisory Board for Geological Nuclear Science; a member of the Māori Heritage Council; Deputy Chief Executive for the Ministry for Environment and an Environment Court Commissioner.
His formal scholarship also took place with the last two tohunga ahurewa of Whanganui in the traditional forms of ruruku (karakia tawhito), whakapapa, whaikōrero, waiata and mau rākau. Since the early 2000s Che has been a teacher within his iwi in these disciplines. His contribution to the cultural sector is significant as a composer, performer, author, curator (of the award winning photographic exhibition, Te Pihi Mata); a Māori Language interpreter and translator; and a member of the Harvard based Philanthropic Trust, Cultural Survival.
More recently his focus has galvanised around the settlement process for one of his iwi, Ngati Rangi, at the foot of Koro Ruapehu. But while his leadership skills have been put to the test as Chief Negotiator, it is through the lens of whānau that his greatest challenges lie. Che is particularly proud of the project he has lead across his home towns - Waiouru, Raetihi and Ohakune for its capacity to grow the social and economic aspirations of the people. The Ruapehu Whānau Transformation project has crystallised for him the essence of Whānau Ora: that if you place faith in our families, change can happen.
Che is on the Māori King’s Council of Twelve (Tekau ma Rua). This is a traditional council of tribal rangatira selected by iwi. Whether at the Maori Leaders Boot Camp in Stanford, or as a member of Māori business delegations to Hawai’i, China, Alaska, Bolivia, New Mexico or Cambridge, it would appear that this young man is both confident and comfortable in any setting.
His aunty Tariana (Turia), once told Che the worst pitfall in politics was to start to believe your own press. Luckily for Che he has a whānau of critics and confidants who will remind him firmly of his place – as the youngest child of nine; a father of Te Kanawa and Hinerauhamoa; a husband to Riria (Missy) and a servant to his iwi.
While Che and Missy were living in London at the time of the 2004 hikoi, Kaapua Smith (Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Apa, Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngati Awa) was a young solo mum. Her son Te Haanea was just two at the time. Next election will be his first to cast a vote, so she’s inspired by ensuring there is a strong kaupapa Maori option for him and his generation to vote for in the next election.
Kaapua’s initial entry into politics was as a member of Pita Sharples campaign team in 2005. Later she would stand as a candidate for the Māori Party in 2011 (2nd on the list); in the midst of a five year period in which she served as private secretary, press secretary and advisor to Hon Dr Pita Sharples and Hon Tariana Turia. Like Che, Kaapua has been widely sought for her political commentary; she’s been a champion for the Maori electoral option, and most recently has been invited to be a guest speaker on Māori political participation in Chile while frequently invited to be a researcher, panellist, commentator and advisor on Māori Television (Native Affairs, Arero, Kowhiri 08).
Kaapua is an established author, while also having served as a tutor, mentor and project manager for Māori and Indigenous Research. Scholarship runs in the blood – her parents are Professors Graham and Linda Smith; her koro Hirini Moko Mead.
Since May 2017 Kaapua has been Head of Sustainability for Contact Energy; responsible for leading Contact’s sustainability, environment, property and community partnership teamsTangata whenua engagement has been one of her focus areas, a key priority in building a culture of sustainability and awareness of tangata whenua issues within the organisation.
This is the new look of the Māori Party. A graduate of Auckland University in Political Studies and Māori Studies, Kaapua is also a proud alumni of Hato Hohepa; St Josephs Māori Girls College in Napier. As an old girl of a Māori boarding school; a graduate of kōhanga reo and kura kaupapa Māori; Kaapua is part of the lucky generation – fluent in te reo Māori; comfortable in her own skin; a mokopuna who has benefitted from the legacy of those who fought to make her future secure.
As a young mum, Kaapua now carries that passion and pride into her most important role – raising Te Haanea (15) and Niwa (9). Yes, she is a Generation Y politician, a freelance writer, a researcher, an advisor, happy on snapchat, a dedicated contributor on social media. But in her heart of hearts, the greatest call on her time is nurturing that spark of creative hunger in her two boys – one who has always dreamt of being an astronaut; the other modelling his lifeplan on Maui Supergod. Her goal is to help make that happen.

Māori Party President Che Wilson is proud to celebrate the remarkable achievement of Dame Tariana Turia founding and former co-leader of the Māori Party.
‘Pūtikiria te whānau hei oranga mō te tangata’ - Bind the strength of whānau to help the collective... This proverb captures the essence of Dame Tariana from her childhood at Pūtiki to crossing the floor in Parliament and leading her flagship kaupapa Whānau Ora,” said Mr Wilson.

The Māori Party is disappointed that Whānau Ora has been overlooked in today’s budget, with President Che Wilson saying they are deeply concerned about the direction that this Labour Government is taking in mainstreaming Māori issues.
“There is no new money for Whānau Ora in today’s budget – that goes against the promise that Labour made to voters last year to put $20 million into Whānau Ora over 4 years.” said Che Wilson, Māori Party President.

Māku anō e hanga toku whare
Ko tōna tāhuhu, he hinau
Ona pou he mahoe, he patatē
At the end of the 19th century, Kingi Tawhiao spoke about rebuilding, using the concept ‘I will build my house’. Just recently that concept was remembered by Kōkōhīnau and Pahipoto committees as they honoured former Minister of Māori Development Hon Te Ururoa Flavell.

The Māori Party is delighted to congratulate Marama Davidson as the new co-leader of the Green Party.
“With the Māori Party no longer in the House, the need for an independent Māori voice has never been greater,” said Māori Party president Che Wilson.

Mar 07, 2018

"We need Māori Party basketballs!"
MEET OUR NEW LEADERSHIP
One of the first conference calls of many to take place between the new Māori Party leadership was interrupted with a marketing suggestion by a future voter.
“We need Māori Party basketballs” was the recommendation from 10-year-old Te Kanawa, younger son of freshly elected President Che Wilson.
You get a sense pretty quickly that the new leadership is about to bring new energy to the political landscape. In February at Rotorua, 41-year-old Che Wilson and 35-year-old Kaapua Smith were elected with great enthusiasm by a capacity crowd who had been attracted to the ‘new beginning’ that the Māori Party 2018 Hui-a-Tau was promoted as.
Over a decade ago, the founding President of the Māori Party, Whatarangi Winiata, told the Māori Party AGM at Omahu Marae in Hastings that in the 1960s when he had visited Chicago Museum there was an exhibit of a perfect human specimen – the New Zealand Māori. It is tempting to speculate that these two young leaders represent that ideal in the staggering list of accomplishments they have already achieved.
After acquiring a Bachelor of Arts – Honours – in international relations, politics and Māori, Che has shown a particular flair in the areas of environmental management and tribal leadership. He has been a member of the Tongariro-Taupō Conservancy Board; the National Māori Advisory Board for Geological Nuclear Science; a member of the Māori Heritage Council; Deputy Chief Executive for the Ministry for Environment and an Environment Court Commissioner.
His formal scholarship also took place with the last two tohunga ahurewa of Whanganui in the traditional forms of ruruku (karakia tawhito), whakapapa, whaikōrero, waiata and mau rākau. Since the early 2000s Che has been a teacher within his iwi in these disciplines. His contribution to the cultural sector is significant as a composer, performer, author, curator (of the award winning photographic exhibition, Te Pihi Mata); a Māori Language interpreter and translator; and a member of the Harvard based Philanthropic Trust, Cultural Survival.
More recently his focus has galvanised around the settlement process for one of his iwi, Ngati Rangi, at the foot of Koro Ruapehu. But while his leadership skills have been put to the test as Chief Negotiator, it is through the lens of whānau that his greatest challenges lie. Che is particularly proud of the project he has lead across his home towns - Waiouru, Raetihi and Ohakune for its capacity to grow the social and economic aspirations of the people. The Ruapehu Whānau Transformation project has crystallised for him the essence of Whānau Ora: that if you place faith in our families, change can happen.
Che is on the Māori King’s Council of Twelve (Tekau ma Rua). This is a traditional council of tribal rangatira selected by iwi. Whether at the Maori Leaders Boot Camp in Stanford, or as a member of Māori business delegations to Hawai’i, China, Alaska, Bolivia, New Mexico or Cambridge, it would appear that this young man is both confident and comfortable in any setting.
His aunty Tariana (Turia), once told Che the worst pitfall in politics was to start to believe your own press. Luckily for Che he has a whānau of critics and confidants who will remind him firmly of his place – as the youngest child of nine; a father of Te Kanawa and Hinerauhamoa; a husband to Riria (Missy) and a servant to his iwi.
While Che and Missy were living in London at the time of the 2004 hikoi, Kaapua Smith (Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Apa, Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngati Awa) was a young solo mum. Her son Te Haanea was just two at the time. Next election will be his first to cast a vote, so she’s inspired by ensuring there is a strong kaupapa Maori option for him and his generation to vote for in the next election.
Kaapua’s initial entry into politics was as a member of Pita Sharples campaign team in 2005. Later she would stand as a candidate for the Māori Party in 2011 (2nd on the list); in the midst of a five year period in which she served as private secretary, press secretary and advisor to Hon Dr Pita Sharples and Hon Tariana Turia. Like Che, Kaapua has been widely sought for her political commentary; she’s been a champion for the Maori electoral option, and most recently has been invited to be a guest speaker on Māori political participation in Chile while frequently invited to be a researcher, panellist, commentator and advisor on Māori Television (Native Affairs, Arero, Kowhiri 08).
Kaapua is an established author, while also having served as a tutor, mentor and project manager for Māori and Indigenous Research. Scholarship runs in the blood – her parents are Professors Graham and Linda Smith; her koro Hirini Moko Mead.
Since May 2017 Kaapua has been Head of Sustainability for Contact Energy; responsible for leading Contact’s sustainability, environment, property and community partnership teams.
Tangata whenua engagement has been one of her focus areas, a key priority in building a culture of sustainability and awareness of tangata whenua issues within the organisation.
This is the new look of the Māori Party. A graduate of Auckland University in Political Studies and Māori Studies, Kaapua is also a proud alumni of Hato Hohepa; St Josephs
Māori Girls College in Napier. As an old girl of a Māori boarding school; a graduate of kōhanga reo and kura kaupapa Māori; Kaapua is part of the lucky generation – fluent in te reo Māori; comfortable in her own skin; a mokopuna who has benefitted from the legacy of those who fought to make her future secure.
As a young mum, Kaapua now carries that passion and pride into her most important role – raising Te Haanea (15) and Niwa (9). Yes, she is a Generation Y politician, a freelance writer, a researcher, an advisor, happy on snapchat, a dedicated contributor on social media. But in her heart of hearts, the greatest call on her time is nurturing that spark of creative hunger in her two boys – one who has always dreamt of being an astronaut; the other modelling his lifeplan on Maui Supergod. Her goal is to help make that happen.

The Māori Party is praising New Zealand First for pushing for gains that will benefit thousands of tamariki and the country’s lowest paid workers, many of whom are Māori.
“People will most probably be surprised to hear the Māori Party acknowledge NZ First for anything but we need to give credit where credit is due,” said Māori Party president Tukoroirangi Morgan.

The Māori Party is congratulating the leaders of the Labour and NZ First parties for forming a new Government for Aotearoa.
“Good on Winston Peters for treading carefully during his negotiations with both Labour and National, he has obviously done what his party wanted and what he felt was right,” said Māori Party co-leader Marama Fox.
“Jacinda Ardern was the new leader brought in to revive her party in the eleventh hour and she did that in amazing style so we need to acknowledge her for that and for managing to pull-off negotiations with one of the country’s most seasoned political leaders who her party hasn’t always agreed with in the past,” said Ms Fox.

MEDIA STATEMENT
20 September, 2017
Marama Fox and Te Ururoa Flavell
Māori Party co-leaders
Māori Party supports LGBQTI community
Māori Party co-leaders Marama Fox and Te Ururoa Flavell say they are fully supportive of the LGBQTI community after the party was accused of being anti-takatāpui.
“We are a party based on a belief in whakapapa, whanaungatanga and manaakitanga and as such we will always support LGBQTI members of whānau,” says Ms Fox.
“To be clear, the comment made in a press release by a party candidate that prompted the accusation of the party being anti-takatāpui is not the party’s position. It is the personal view of that candidate and a vote on such topics is, by convention, a conscience issue.

SPEECH BY SHANE TAURIMA
Māngere Markets - 16 September 2017
Mōrena Māngere, mōrena Tāmaki Makaurau!
One in every four Māori in Aotearoa live right here in Auckland.
So it’s fitting that the Māori Party has a plan for this city, a plan for our whānau here.
The Māori Party acknowledges the blood, sweat and tears our tupuna invested in the birth and growth of this city.
We remember the taking of land from mana whenua and the giving of land from mana whenua for all peoples of Auckland.

Māori Party co-leaders Te Ururoa Flavell and Marama Fox are calling on Labour to come clean on who owns the country’s freshwater before they try taxing it.
“Labour have claimed everybody owns the water, while the Waitangi Tribunal says Māori have rights akin to ownership,” says Mr Flavell.

MEDIA STATEMENTTe Ururoa FlavellMāori Party co-leaderMP for Waiariki
Māori Party co-leader Te Ururoa Flavell says the admission from a Labour candidate that it would only tweak the Te Ture Whenua Māori Bill if it formed the next government shows their opposition to it has been nothing but hot air. “Labour have huffed and puffed in the House about how bad this bill supposedly is and vowed to scrap it if they become the government. Now they’ve changed their tune. Suddenly this bill is not so bad after all and just needs tinkering,” says Mr Flavell, MP for Waiariki.